Abbreviation: DQ File
Driver Qualification File
A file that carriers must maintain for each CDL driver, containing required documents such as the driver application, MVR inquiries, annual reviews, medical certificate, and pre-employment test results.
DQ file requirements are specified in 49 CFR Part 391. Most records must be retained for 3 years after the driver leaves employment.
Required documents
A complete DQ file must include: the driver application (with 10-year employment history); MVR from each state where the driver held a license in the past 3 years; a road test certificate or equivalent CDL notation; a copy of the current medical certificate (MCSA-5876); written annual review with current MVR; inquiry to previous DOT-regulated employers; Clearinghouse query documentation; and drug and alcohol pre-employment test results.
Retention periods
Most DQ file documents must be kept for 3 years after the driver leaves. The employment application is kept for as long as the driver is employed plus 3 years after. Medical certificate records must be kept for the duration of employment plus 3 years. The annual review (including MVR) must be retained for 3 years.
Common audit mistakes
Frequent DQ file deficiencies found in compliance audits: missing previous employer inquiry documentation (including documentation of non-responses); outdated or expired medical certificates in the file without a current one; MVRs that are more than 12 months old; annual reviews that lack a supervisor signature; and failure to document Clearinghouse queries.
Last updated: June 4, 2026
When this definition matters
This term usually matters when a driver, owner-operator, or small carrier is deciding whether a federal rule applies, preparing a compliance file, or checking a state CDL step. Use this definition as a starting point, then confirm the controlling requirement in the official source listed below before making a licensing, hiring, dispatch, or recordkeeping decision.
The related terms above are included because they often appear in the same compliance workflow. Reviewing them together can prevent common mix-ups, such as treating a state licensing step as a federal carrier obligation or confusing a driver record with a separate employer record.